Little Troublemakers
by Echoing Fantasy
Summary: Federico and Ezio get it in their heads to play in Giovanni's study when he's not there. Right after he told them not to. Childhood fic.


_Little Troublemakers_

They were crouched on the rooftop behind the chimney, hands covering their mouths as they listened to their father's footsteps just below them. They could tell just by the quick, short stride he took he was very, _very_ upset, and both boys knew that when their father was that upset with anything they did, it usually resulted in a beating.

And so they were playing the hiding game. Both boys knew their father could climb roofs easily, which was why they had chosen a shadowed little corner, and were covering their mouths, trying to disappear in plain sight like they'd been taught. It had been Federico's idea, to play in their father's study despite having been told not to; Ezio had accidentally knocked the ink pot over on some important documents Lord Lorenzo had given to him. The two had tried to clean it up, but only made a bigger mess. By the time they'd given up, their father had been home and climbing the stairs. They had barely scrambled out the window before they'd heard his yell of rage cut through the evening air.

They hadn't bothered waiting around to answer his calls; they had run as far and as fast as possible and scampered around the corner and up the closest rooftop, covering their mouths. Mere seconds later, their father had rounded the corner, lips drawn back in a snarl as he called sharply for his two sons to show themselves. The tone in the man's voice scared both boys; they had only heard their father use it once, on a vendor that had sworn Ezio had stolen from him. Ezio hadn't, but the vendor had sworn up and down he had. Giovanni had used that tone and the vendor had stopped arguing and let it go. But the whiteness of the man's face and the fearful look in his eyes when their father took the tone stayed with them and kept them from going down and receiving their punishment.

It was almost night now, and both boys knew that meant the windows and doors would soon be locked; if they didn't head inside now, they would be locked out for the night. But their father still hadn't returned - they could no longer hear his voice. He hadn't gone inside - they would have heard him pass by. Which meant that one, he already knew where they were and was waiting for them to come down or two, he was farther away than they thought.

Federico jerked his head towards the house and held up three fingers. Ezio nodded, and watched as the fingers counted down. When it hit one both boys jumped down and sprinted towards the house as fast as their little feet could carry them, praying that they would make it before Giovanni-

A pair of hands suddenly snagged the backs of their tunics, lifting them up off the ground. Both boys yelped in surprise and shock, all too aware who had snagged them. Giovanni stepped out from beneath the eves he'd been hiding under, looked rather displeased. "Going somewhere, boys?"

"Um..." Ezio supplied.

"Uh..." Federico gave.

Giovanni didn't wait for a coherent answer, instead tossing Ezio under one arm and dragging Federico along with the other. The boy opened the door when his father told him to, and dutifully marched inside, aware that for all the schemes they dreamed up, nothing could save them now. Not even Mama would be on their side.

Their father said nothing as they entered the study again. The mess had been cleaned up, but Ezio still winced as he looked at the desk. Federico worried his lower lip when their father closed and locked the door behind them, and then moved around to his desk to sit down. He folded his hands and looked at them sternly.

"Tell me what you were doing in my study."

Ezio tried not to wilt in his place. Why couldn't the ground just swallow them up? "Um... w-we were... uh, looking for something?"

Giovanni raised a brow. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

The boy's shoulders drooped. He'd given up. Giovanni's gaze went to Federico. The boy could already tell by his father's expression that he would tolerate no more lies tonight. "We were playing," the boy confessed, wincing when he saw the steel in his father's eyes.

"Despite the fact that I told you not to?" The man softly asked both boys. They nodded, looking immensely uncomfortable. Ezio was taking tiny steps backwards in a futile hope his father wouldn't notice. With a single crook of his finger he ordered Ezio back into place and bent to a drawer on the lower part of the desk. Out of it he pulled a leather strap. Both boys ducked down upon seeing it. "Do you understand now why I told you not to play in here? Because of your antics, I have to report back and inform _il Magnifico_ that I am unable to give him the paperwork he required. Paperwork that was very important, might I add?"

His children were shuffling in place now, clearly guilt-ridden. In a small voice, Ezio said, "We did try to clean it up... but the ink wouldn't come out."

Giovanni felt a small pang of regret. He hated punishing his children, but sometimes it was necessary - even when they tried to do the right thing and correct the mistake. "Some things are not so easily fixed with a wet rag and soap, my child. Sometimes it takes giving up a bit of pride to make things right. And since you have both cost me five days work, you will lose a piece of pride. Five swats for each of you for coming into my study and playing when I told you not to, and five more for running and hiding, and then trying to circle back when I was not looking instead of answering me."

The duo sighed. Ten swats was harsh, but at the same time they'd really hurt their father's work. "Who goes first?"

"Who suggested the idea?"

Federico winced and moved past his father, leaning his arms on the table and offering up his backside. His father never had them pull down their pants - too much pain was not a good idea. Plus, leather across a clear backside often left welts, no matter how gentle the touch. Giovanni could do many things, but he could never hurt his sons.

"You will count." Federico nodded, biting his lower lip. As his father began, he told himself that he wouldn't cry, because men didn't cry.

He hoped Ezio would do the same.

* * *

Later, after being scolded by their mother and sent off to bed with no desert, both boys collapsed on their beds on their stomachs, Ezio reaching back to touch his still-smarting backside. The pain would be gone by tomorrow morning, but they were both still spooked by the experience. Especially Ezio, who had never had the strap across his backside before.

"You okay baby brother?" Federico asked from across the room. Ezio made a mumbled reply, burying his face in his pillows. He felt small and scared and was sure that his father was still mad on some level. Did Giovanni hate them now?

A warm body touched his, and Ezio scooted over automatically to make room for his brother. "He'll be okay in the morning, Ezio. He always needs a night to cool off. Same with our backsides, yeah?" They laughed a little at that, leaning their heads together as they both tried to get to sleep. Federico knew Mama didn't approve of them sleeping together any more - they were big boys with their own beds - but hopefully she would understand if he did it just for tonight, for Ezio's sake.

"Let this be a lesson: don't do stupid stuff in the future," he mumbled before yawning. Ezio was already asleep, and it wasn't long before Federico followed.

Not long after the two fell asleep, a shadow appeared on the balcony outside their room and carefully unlocked the window, opening it just enough for him to slip inside. Dressed in his assassin's garb, Giovanni paused by his sons and sighed, smiling down at the two. "You two will be the death of me someday, I swear it. But you are my sons, and I will always love you, no matter what." He kissed them both on the head before pulling back, grabbing the extra blanket on Federico's bed and tossing it over the brothers, then disappearing back out the window and across the rooftops.


End file.
